— The Brodhead Cultural Center at Penn State Beaver kicks off the 2014 season on Tuesday, July 8, with a performance by the Hopewell Community Big Band at 7:30 p.m. Musical and theatrical performances will be presented throughout the summer with the last performance on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Events are free to the public and, as an added bonus, Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream is available for purchase at every event.

— The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts celebrates 48 years of visual and performing arts from Wednesday, July 9, through Sunday, July 13. More than 300 juried artists will set up on Penn State’s University Park campus and the streets of downtown State College, Pa., for the famous Sidewalk Sale & Exhibition. A nationally recognized show, the event draws more than 100,000 visitors each year.

— The local chapter of Uplifting Athletes will hold its 12th annual Lift for Life event on Saturday, July 12, at University Park to raise money for kidney cancer research.

— The 2nd annual Mt. Nittany Marathon benefitting the Mount Nittany Conservancy starts at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31. Runners will take off at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the University Park campus and make their way on a scenic 26.2-mile certified course.

September and beyond

— Penn State Berks’ Arts and Lecture Series will commence on Wednesday, Sept. 3, with a performance by Brother, an Australian band that fuses the sounds of traditional Celtic music with sounds native to Australian Aboriginals. The series continues through the fall and spring semesters, wrapping up the season at the end of April 2015.

— From 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, Penn State Harrisburg will host the Moon Festival, the official harvest festival celebrated in China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

­— Penn State Harrisburg will celebrate the triumph of good over evil at Diwali Celebration, the Indian festival of lights, on Friday, Oct. 24.

— Join the students at Penn State Harrisburg on Friday, Feb. 13, 2015, to celebrate the Lunar New Year, a festivity marking the start of the new year according to the lunar calendar.

— On Saturday, April 11, 2015, Penn State Shenango will host Earth Fest. The annual event, which offers free admission and is open to the public, includes live music and entertainment, children’s activities, an artists’ market, Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream, information from sustainability-minded local organizations and businesses, a computer recycling event, eco-friendly cars from Montrose Auto Group and more.